A technique referred to as “download installation” has been developed in recent years. According to this technique, a device driver that has already been installed in a server is downloaded from a computer functioning as the server to a computer serving as a client connected via a network, the device driver is installed in the client computer and can be utilized thereby.
Consider a printer driver as an example of a device driver from among the various types of device drivers available. “Point & Print” in Microsoft's Windows (registered trademark) operating system is well known as one example of such a device driver.
For example, assume that a user who is a client specifies point & print. If the print server is of the Windows (registered trademark) 2000 family, the client creates a “true connect” printer connection of a Remote Procedure Call (RPC) at the time of point & print. When the RPC connection is created, a printer driver and printer settings are downloaded from the print server to the client. Furthermore, the client accepts an update program from the print server automatically. If the printer driver and settings are updated, the client accepts the settings asynchronously and executes print processing using the driver.
Configuration information that is downloaded together with the printer driver includes installable options and settings related to specific job processing functions, etc. For the purpose of assisting various functions of the printer driver, often related applications, namely a status monitor and an uninstaller, which are associated with the printer driver are downloaded simultaneously and utilized.
After the printer driver is installed automatically, these downloaded related applications are installed by the user employing a special-purpose program for installation purposes having a name such as “setup.exe”.
In a so-called “download installation” environment, inclusive of point & click, that employs the functions of an operating system, it is possible for a desired printer driver installed beforehand in the server to be transferred to and copied on the client side. However, processing for installing an application related to a print driver, which is executed after installation of the print driver, cannot be controlled freely.
Further, post-installation processing that is optimum for a client cannot be executed after the device driver has been installed.